Origins of Poker

It is believed that the game of poker was born in New Orleans in the US which was then a French territory. This was also known as the origin of gambling. The evidence of its birth has been documented by various early writers. Most notably is the reference to poker by J. Hildreth in his book Dragon Campaigns to the Rocky Mountains. The book was published in 1836, meaning that by that time poker already had strong roots in the country. Many other publications at the time also mention poker significantly.

The earliest form of poker is said to be played with 20 card pack (A, K, Q, J, 10). There were only four players at a time per game. Early games were not as complicated as it is today. The rules were easy to master and the players were few. There were no draws in the game and the betting was done differently compared to today’s poker. Poker ranking was done differently. Some of the rankings today were not applicable at the time because very few cards were involved. The rankings included; one pair, two pair, three of a kind and four of a kind. In 1847, Jonathan Green provided more evidence for 20 card poker in his book-The Reformed Gambler. He attests to poker being played on a Mississippi boat.

The need to play poker ten years later had increased. Poker games started incorporating more players and more cards. This became the birth of 52 card poker. The ranking changed listing from the highest to the lowest. The Flush hand ranking was introduced to accommodate more players. This changed the perception of poker as gambling to date. It became a game of skill and psychology.

The 19th century marked a totally different phase for poker. Poker spread to many other parts during the civil war such as Ohio and Indiana. Other schemes and rules were introduced in the game during the war including the Jackpot. Only the player with a pair of jacks was aloud to open it. However, the second part of the jackpot rule was later eliminated. The rule stated that in a table of five players, one player would be dealt Jacks or better. It was meant to instill discipline at the table and allowing only players who made serious bets. Playing of modern poker started in 1970.

The origin classic poker is however not documented because at the time, no one knew that the game would one day be considered a classic.